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Australia cancels emergency flights out of Israel due to safety concerns
By Nick Ralston, Latika Bourke and Mary Ward
Australia has been forced to cancel charter flights to evacuate citizens from Israel because of safety concerns, as thousands of Palestinians fled south of Gaza ahead with the Israeli military saying it was “getting ready for the next stage” of its war with Hamas.
Hours after the first planeload of Australians arrived in London from Tel Aviv, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said other repatriation flights planned for Saturday and Sunday had now been cancelled. The department cited the “highly challenging and rapidly changing” situation.
Palestinians flee from northern Gaza to the south.Credit: AP
“The Australian government is working to ensure Australians who want to leave can do so as soon as possible. We will communicate to registered Australians about the next available flights,” the department said in a statement late on Saturday.
Qantas, which is providing repatriation flights to passengers free of charge, said the decision followed a safety assessment determined there had been a deterioration of conditions on the ground in Israel.
“Qantas has been running constant safety assessments for its planned flights to Tel Aviv in consultation with government agencies,” a spokesperson for the airline said.
“Based on the latest assessments, the difficult decision has been made not to operate the second flight to Tel Aviv on Sunday due to the continued deterioration of conditions on the ground in Israel for safety reasons.
“We remain committed to helping to bring Australians home and are in discussions with government about other ports in the Middle East that Qantas and partner Emirates could fly into to assist with broader evacuation efforts.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said she understood people’s distress at the flight cancellations. “Unfortunately, these fights were not able to proceed as we had originally hoped,” she told Sky News.
“I spent a lot of time on the phones today to see if there was any way we could find alternatives, and I understand how distressing this is for people,” Wong said.
“Unfortunately, these fights were not able to proceed as we had originally hoped. The situation on the ground is obviously very volatile, and it is changing rapidly. We will keep working to try and ensure additional flights.”
The Australian government said on Friday that 1600 people had registered in Israel or the West Bank, including 19 in Gaza, for repatriation in what was an “extraordinary logistical exercise”. Wong said 238 Australians were on the first flight which departed Friday and arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport early Saturday Australian time.
Anthony Goldman, joint managing director of Goldman Group travel agency, had clients returning to Australia on the first repatriation flight. He is working to get “a handful” of others still in Israel on remaining El Al flights, although he believes eventually no one will be able to fly out of the area.
“I think it’s inevitable, unfortunately,” he said on Saturday night.
While he said those wanting to leave Israel would fly anywhere in the world to get out, he noted many, particularly those with children serving in the army, did not want to leave.
Those leaving often had “mixed emotions”, he said, but decided to leave because they had younger children, or had not lived in Israel for a long time.“They don’t want to be a drain on the system. They don’t want to take up beds in hospital or food,” he said.
The cancellation of the further repatriation flights came as Israel said it was preparing for the next phase of its war against Hamas.
“Around the Gaza Strip, Israeli reserve soldiers in formation (are) getting ready for the next stage of operations,” Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said in a video briefing.
“They are all around the Gaza Strip, in the south, in the centre and in the north, and they are preparing themselves for whatever target they get, whatever task.”
Palestinian worshippers pray outside Jerusalem’s Old City while Israeli forces stand guard on Friday.Credit: AP
Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas for the attack a week ago, in which its fighters killed 1300 Israelis, mainly civilians, and seized scores of hostages.
Israel has since put the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, under a total siege and bombarded it with unprecedented air strikes. Gaza health authorities say at least 1900 people have died, with UNICEF reporting at least 500 Palestinian children have died since fighting began.
On Saturday, residents of Gaza’s north were given a six-hour window to move south along two roads in the enclave, with a senior member of the Israeli military issuing the instructions via social media.
Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee wrote in Arabic that the Israeli Defence Force “will allow movement on the indicated streets without any harm between the hours of 10:00 and 16:00”.
“If you care about yourself and your loved ones, go south as instructed. Rest assured that Hamas leaders have taken care of themselves and are taking cover from strikes in the region,” he wrote.
On Friday, more than a million residents of northern Gaza received a notice from Israel to flee south within 24 hours, a deadline that expired at 5am (1pm Saturday AEDT).
Hamas vowed to fight to the last drop of blood and told residents to stay.
The Israeli military said tank-backed troops had mounted raids to hit Palestinian rocket crews and gather information on the location of hostages – the first official account of ground troops in Gaza since the crisis began.
Members of London’s Israeli community greet Australian citizens evacuated from Tel Aviv.
An Israeli drone killed a number of militants who tried to infiltrate Israel from Lebanon, it added on Saturday.
“We are striking our enemies with unprecedented might,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a rare statement televised after the Jewish Sabbath began on Friday. “I emphasise that this is only the beginning.”
Tens of thousands of Palestinians were estimated to have headed south from northern Gaza after the Israeli order, according to the United Nations, which said more than 400,000 Palestinians had been internally displaced due to hostilities before the directive.
Many others, however, said they would stay. “Death is better than leaving,” said Mohammad, 20, outside a building smashed by an Israeli air strike near the centre of Gaza.
Mosques broadcast the message: “Hold on to your homes. Hold on to your land.”
The United Nations and other organisations warned of a disaster if so many people were forced to flee, calling for Israel to end the siege and allow aid into Gaza.
“We need immediate humanitarian access throughout Gaza, so that we can get fuel, food and water to everyone in need. Even wars have rules,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
US President Joe Biden said tackling the humanitarian crisis was a top priority. American teams in the region were working with Israel, Egypt, Jordan, other Arab governments and the UN, he said.
Palestinians fleeing to the southern Gaza Strip following Israel’s evacuation order.Credit: AP
“The overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas and Hamas’ appalling attacks,” Biden said. “And they’re suffering as a result as well.”
Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian National Authority which rules the West Bank, told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jordan that the forced displacement would constitute a repeat of 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from what is now Israel.
Most Gazans are descendants of refugees displaced in 1948 or during subsequent wars between Israel and its neighbours. Gaza is one of the most crowded places on earth, and for now there is no way out. In addition to Israel’s blockade, Egypt has resisted calls to open its border with Gaza.
In the West Bank, demonstrators supporting Gaza fought gun battles with Israeli security forces. Palestinian officials said 16 people were shot dead.
There have also been fears of hostilities spreading, including to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where clashes this week have already been the deadliest since 2006.
Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed while working in southern Lebanon by missiles fired from the direction of Israel, according to another Reuters videographer on the scene. Six other journalists were injured.
“We are very sorry for the journalist’s death,” Israeli military spokesman Richard Hecht was quoted as saying by AFP, stopping short of acknowledging responsibility. “We are looking into it.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Najob Mikati and a Hezbollah politician blamed the incident on Israel. Israel’s UN envoy said it would investigate what had happened in the area.
“We always try to mitigate and avoid civilian casualties,” said the envoy, Gilad Erdan. “Obviously, we would never want to hit or kill or shoot any journalist that is doing its job.”
Meanwhile, thousands of people were expected to attend pro-Palestinian rallies in major cities across Australia on Sunday.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has said he was concerned about the unauthorised protest planned at Sydney’s Hyde Park today after attendees at a Monday night rally organised by the same group were filmed calling out anti-Semitic chants.
Monday’s rally occurred on the steps of the Opera House, which had been lit blue and white in a show of solidarity with Israel, under police supervision.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore on Saturday was critical of the decision to light the Opera House sails with the colours of the Israeli flag. “I didn’t agree with that, taking one side or the other,” Moore said, arguing that politicians should be promoting peace.
Moore also said she was very concerned about the use of extraordinary police powers for a pro-Palestinian rally planned on Sunday.
“I think it’s appalling. I think in a democracy people should have the right to come together and protest about policies they don’t agree with.”
with Reuters
More coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
- Surprise attack: Hamas terrorists fired up to 5000 rockets from Gaza into Israel on October 7, triggering a declaration of war. Read our guide to the militant group and why it’s at war with Israel.
- The Iron Dome explained: How did Hamas breach Israel’s sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system? And why didn’t Israel’s intelligence services see these attacks coming?
- Tragedy in Israel: A 66-year-old Sydney woman has been killed and is the first known Australian casualty. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong says the woman’s family in Israel and Australia is receiving consular assistance.
- What’s next: International editor Peter Hartcher joins the Please Explain podcast to analyse the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip - and explain why a much bigger conflict is afoot.